Electric swivel connection



Sept- 22, 1931 c. F. LEDERLE 1,824,604

ELECTRIC SWIVEL CONNECTION Filed May 6. 1929 Patented p Sept. 22, 1931 l UNiTEn STA"rl-:as

- 'cHAjEIQEs E. LEDEELE,

rentar E CHICAGO, ILLINOIS v ELECTRIC sWIvEI.v CONNECTION Application flea May s,

This vinvention relates to means for conductingV or.V transmitting electric current from stationary or relatively fixed contacts or terminals to 'rotatable or relatively movable contacts or terminals. While my imvis proved device or connection may be used for any purpose for which it is applicable an example of such use'is the supplying of current from a relatively fixed socket or base to a rotatable arm or member, as for instance, one adapted for carrying motor driven appliances such as airplanes to provide a toy or display apparatus.

The objects of this invention are to provide a simple and efficient rotatable electric connection or swivel; to provide an electric connection having one member adapted to engage with a socket and another member rotatably carried thereby withfmeansl for maintaining circuit contacts between the two members; to provide a plug adapted to engage with a socket,V a member rotatably mounted on said Vplug and means for conducting electricity from the plug to the rotatable member; and to provide such other advantages and vdetails of construction as will appear more fully from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing one form of my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a modified form of construction.

Figure 4: is a plan view of the form shown in Fig. 3.

A s shown in these drawings, the relativef ly xed member 5 preferably comprises an ordinary electric lamp socket of any ksuitable construction. The plug or supporting member 6 comprises a substantially cylin- Y drical body or core 7 formed of insulating material with a metal cap or sleeve 8 on the inner end which is adapted to make contact with the contact ring or terminal 9 of the socket which is connected with one ofA the supply wires (not shown) in the usual manner. The core 7 and sleeve 8 are thread- 1929. Serial No. 360,853;

ed in the usual manner in order to engage i with the threads of the socket. y `The sleeve onterminal l8 is connected with aconduc'- tor ring orsleeve 10 at the lower end of the core by means of a wire 11. l y The plug 6 has a 'center pin or rod 12 having va head 13 at its upper' end which contacts with the center contact or terminal v11 oi the socketn. rThe lower end of the rod y 12 .projects below the core 7 and is G0 preferably 'provided with a head 15 to form il" `a suitable terminal. n

A rotatable member 16 whichis shown as beingin the form of a bar but which: may be of any` suitable shape is ypivotwed tothe o lower endof the support orf-,plug 6 being'v preferablyv mounted on anti-friction bearings. .For thisr purpose `a lball race '[17 is vsecured tok the plug 6 and another race 18 issecurledlto the arm 1611s by means of Aa 7 0 .flanged ring'lQ` and bolts 2O., The balls 21 are interposedy between 4the races so that lthe bar or arm 16 is reelylrotatable on Sthe plug or' support 6. One brush or contact iinger-22`is securecllto thebar '16 and bears 5 Yon the contact ring 10, this brushbeing provideddwith naV terminali or, connecting post .23' from which leads'asupply wire 24. Another contactfinger` or brush 25is secured lto the bar 16, and y'bears against the contact 80 l5 this brush being .provided with `a con- -necting post 26 from which leads a wire 27.

The wires" 24 and 27`may leadto any'device or apparatus which may be mountedou 'i the bar 16 and which `is to be supplied with 85 electricity. IAs :an example of ,the use of such .device,. I have mounted `miniature y'motor driven airplanes '.(notshown) on the (bark.16 which are supplied with 'electricity Afrom the terminals`23 and 26, the airplanes .9 0

beingar'ranged s'othat they cause the b ar to be rotatedon its support.V n, l y

`From thisdescription it willbe seen that providefmeans/ whereby'a swivel yconnectionis provided between vtwo sets of supply .95 wires so that `one set may be .rotated relatively to the other. without the possibility of twisting or strains non the wire.

2g `The modified form of construction shown fin Figure 3 illustrates an arrangement m va part of a floor stand is provided at its upper end with' a cup 29. A socket 30 which is similar to an ordinary lamp socket is mounted in this cup with its open end projecting upwardly. One of the main supply wires 31 is connected with vcontact sleeve or ring 32 which is secured in the socket V but insulated therefrom in the usual manner by insulation 51. The other wire 33 is connected with a Acentral terminal orv contact V34 such as is commonly provided in suchsockets. The plug 35 is the same as an ordinary plug of this character with th'eexception that itis adapted to rotate freely in the sleeve 32 instead of being screwed into the socket. The shell 36 of the plug is connected with one terminal 37, and the center contact 38 is' connected with another terminal 39 in the usual manner. Wires 40 and 41 from these terminals are adapted to supply current toV any desired device.

The cup 29 has an upwardly projecting sleeve 42 to which is secured anball` race 43.

- A coacting race 44 is secured to a rotatable rnembervsuch `as a disk or bar 45 by' means of a flanged ring 46 and bolts 47. The balls V48 complete the bearing betweenjthe plate 45'and the cup 29. A rod or spring 49 is secured to the plate or bar 45 by'means vof screws or clips 50 and passes through the plugr35. This rod or spring tends to hold the plug in engagement with its coacting contacts and also insures its turning with the plate or bar 45. V

It will be seen that by means of this arrangement currentv may be supplied through the wires 40 and 4l to anything secured to or mounted on the plate or bar'45 and the bar may be freely rotated without disturbing the electrical connections.

Inasrnuch as this invention may be utilized for various purposes, changes may be required in the details of construction in order to adapt themV for` various purposes, and therefore Ido not'wish to be limited to any particular form herein shown and described except as specied in the follow- Qing claims, in which I claim: A

1. In a device of the character set forth,

tends` to hold the plugin engaging position, and conductors leading from said plug.

Y v 2. In a device of the character set forth,

the combination of a support, a cup mounted on said support, a rotatable member mounted on the cup, a socket arranged in said cup and having two terminals, wires leading from a source of supply to said terminals, a plug rotatably mounted in the socket and having two contacts adapted to engage with the respective terminals in the socket, means coacting with the rotatable member and the plug for holding the plug in engaging position, and conductors leading from the plug and'secured to the rotat able member.

CHARLES r. -LEDERLE the combination of a pipe, a cup mounted i on sald plpe, a rotatable memberiorV sup- Y porting other devices, a ball bearing for supportlng the member on Vthe cup, a socket mounted in said vcup and having two terminals, wires leading from a source of sup- .plyi to `said terminals, a plug rotatably mounted in the socket khaving two contacts 4adapted to engage with the respective terminals in the socket, a springcoacting with the rotatable member and the plug which 

